Optical plate and backlight module using the same

ABSTRACT

An exemplary optical plate includes at least one transparent plate unit. The transparent plate unit includes a light output surface, a bottom surface, a plurality of microstructures, and at least a lamp-receiving portion. The bottom surface is opposite to the light output surface. The microstructures are formed at the light output surface and the bottom surface respectively. Each microstructure has circular cross-sections taken along a plane parallel to its base surface thereof, a diameter of the circular cross-sections decreasing along a direction away from its base surface thereof. The lamp-receiving portion is defined in the bottom surface. A backlight module using the present optical plate is also provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to six copending U.S. patent applications, which are: applications Ser. No. [to be advised], Attorney Docket No. US13925, US13926, US13927, US13931, US14376, and US 14382, and entitled “OPTICAL PLATE AND BACKLIGHT MODULE USING THE SAME”. In all these copending applications, the inventor is Shao-Han Chang. All of the copending applications have the same assignee as the present application. The disclosures of the above identified applications are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an optical plate for use in, for example, a backlight module, the backlight module typically being employed in a liquid crystal display (LCD).

2. Discussion of the Related Art

In a liquid crystal display device, liquid crystal is a substance that does not itself radiate light. Instead, the liquid crystal relies on light received from a light source, in order that the liquid crystal can provide displaying of images and data. In the case of a typical liquid crystal display device, a backlight module powered by electricity supplies the needed light.

FIG. 9 represents a typical direct type backlight module 100. The backlight module 100 includes a housing 101, a light reflective plate 102, a light diffusion plate 103, a prism sheet 104, and a plurality of light emitting diode 105 (hereinafter called LED). The housing 101 includes a rectangular base 1011 and four sidewalls 1013 extending from a periphery of the base 1011. The base 1011 and the four sidewalls 1013 cooperatively define a chamber 107. Each LED 105 includes a base portion 1053 and a light-emitting portion 1051 disposed on the base portion 1053. The LEDs 105 are electrically connected to a printed circuit board (not labeled), and the printed circuit board is fixed to the base 1011 of the housing 101. The light reflective plate 102 is disposed on the LEDs 105 in the chamber 107. The light reflective plate 102 defines a plurality of through holes (not labeled) that allows the light-emitting portions 1051 of the LED 105 to pass through and to emit light to be transmitted to the light diffusion plate 103. The light diffusion plate 103 and the prism sheet 104 are stacked in that order on the chamber 107. Light emitted from the LEDs 105 is substantially reflected by the light reflective sheet 102 to enter the light diffusion plate 103, and diffused uniformly in the light diffusion plate 103, and finally surface light is output from the prism sheet 104.

Generally, a plurality of dark areas may occur because of the reduced intensity of light between adjacent LEDs 105. In the backlight module 100, each LED 105 further includes a reflective sheet 106 disposed on the top of the light-emitting portion 1051, configured for decreasing the brightness of a portion of the backlight module 100 above the LED 105. However, the brightness of the backlight module 100 is still not uniform. One method of enhancing the uniformity of brightness of the backlight module 100 is to increase the space between the light diffusion plate 103 and the LEDs 105. This increase in space tends to eliminate potential dark areas. However, increasing the space between the diffusion plate 103 and the LEDs 105 will also increase the thickness of the backlight module and further the overall intensity of the output light rays is reduced.

What is needed, therefore, is a new optical plate and a backlight module using the optical plate that can overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings.

SUMMARY

An optical plate according to a preferred embodiment includes at least one transparent plate unit. The transparent plate unit includes a light output surface, a bottom surface, a plurality of microstructures, and at least a lamp-receiving portion. The bottom surface is opposite to the light output surface. The microstructures are formed at the light output surface and the bottom surface respectively. Each microstructure has circular cross-sections taken along a plane parallel to its base surface thereof, a diameter of the circular cross-sections decreasing along a direction away from its base surface thereof. The lamp-receiving portion is defined in the bottom surface.

A backlight module according to a preferred embodiment includes a housing, a side-lighting type point light source, an optical plate, and a light diffusion plate. The housing includes a base and a plurality of sidewalls extending around a periphery of the base, the base and the sidewalls cooperatively forming an opening. The point light source is disposed on the base, the point light source having a light-emitting portion. The same optical plate as described in the previous paragraph is employed in this embodiment. The light-emitting portion of the point light source is inserted in the lamp-receiving portion of the optical plate correspondingly. The light diffusion plate is disposed on the housing over the opening.

Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description of various embodiments, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present optical plate and backlight module. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and all the views are schematic.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a backlight module using an optical plate according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the optical plate of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an isometric, inverted view of the optical plate of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of an optical plate according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of an optical plate according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an exploded, isometric view of an optical plate according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an exploded, isometric view of an optical plate according to a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of a conventional backlight module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe preferred embodiments of the present optical plate and backlight module, in detail.

Referring to FIG. 1, a backlight module 200 in accordance with a first preferred embodiment is shown. The backlight module 200 includes an optical plate 20, a housing 21, a light reflective plate 22, a light diffusion plate 23, a LED 25, and a reflective member 27. The housing 21 includes a rectangular base 211 and four sidewalls 213 extending from a periphery of the base 211, the base 211 and the sidewalls 213 cooperatively forming an opening 217. The light diffusion plate 23 is disposed on the housing 21 over the opening 217. The optical plate 20, the light reflective plate 22 and the LED 25 are received in the housing 21.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the optical plate 20 is a transparent square plate, which can be mounted into the housing 21. The optical plate 20 includes a light output surface 202, a bottom surface 203 opposite to the light output surface 202. A plurality of microstructures 205 are formed on the light output surface 202. A plurality of microstructures 206 are formed at the bottom surface 203. The optical plate 20 further includes a lamp-receiving portion 204 defined in a center of the bottom surface 203. In this embodiment, the lamp-receiving portion 204 is a through hole communicating between the light output surface 202 and the bottom surface 203. The optical plate 20 can be made of material selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate (PC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), copolymer of methylmethacrylate and styrene (MS), and any suitable combination thereof.

The microstructures 205 are distributed on the light output surface 202 in a matrix manner, and the microstructures 206 are distributed on the bottom surface 203 according to the microstructures 205. Each microstructure 205, 206 has circular cross-sections taken along a plane parallel to its base surface, a diameter of the circular cross-sections decrease along a direction away from its base surface. In this embodiment, each microstructure 205, 206 is a conical frustum protrusion. A maximum diameter D of each microstructure 205, 206 is configured to be in a range from about 0.02 millimeters to about 4 millimeters. A height of each microstructure 205, 206 is configured to be in a range from about 0.01 millimeters to about 3 millimeters. Referring to FIG. 3, a slanted angle S of side surface of each microstructure 205, 206 with respect to its base surface is larger than zero, and equal to or smaller than 60 degrees.

Also referring to FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the LED 25 includes a base portion 253, a light-emitting portion 251 disposed on the base portion 253. The LED 25 is electrically connected to a printed circuit board 26 that is fixed to the base 211 of the housing 21. In this embodiment, the reflective member 27 is a light reflective sheet that is disposed on the top of the light-emitting portion 251. In an alternative embodiment, the reflective member 27 can be a light reflective film formed on the top of the light-emitting portion 251 or on the optical plate 20 above the lamp-receiving portion 204.

The light-emitting portion 251 of the LED 25 is inserted into the lamp-receiving portion 204 of the optical plate 20, and the light output surface 202 of the optical plate 20 faces the light diffusion plate 23. The light reflective plate 22 defines a through hole (not labeled). The light reflective plate 22 is disposed underneath the bottom surface 203 of the optical plate 20, the LED 25 and passes through the light reflective plate 22 via the through hole.

In use, light emitted from the light-emitting portion 251 of the LED 25 enter the optical plate 20 via an inner surface of the lamp-receiving portion 204. A significant amount of light travels through the optical plate 20. Because the surfaces of the microstructures 205 are slanted, incident light that may have been internally reflected on a flat surface, is reflected at the curved surfaces of the microstructures 205. As a result, a great amount of light is able to be outputted, from the light output surface 212, faster.

In addition, the microstructures 205 can condense and collimate emitted light, thereby improving a light illumination brightness. Furthermore, because the side-lighting type LED 25 is positioned in the lamp-receiving portion 204, light is uniformly outputted from the light output surface 202 of the optical plate 20, except that the portion above the LED 25 has a relatively low illumination. Light from the optical plate 20 can be further substantially mixed in a chamber between the optical plate 20 and the light diffusion plate 23, and finally uniform surface light is outputted from the light diffusion plate 23. A distance from the LED 25 to the light diffusion plate 23 may be configured to be very short, with little or no potential risk of having dark areas on the portion of the backlight module 200 directly above the LED 25. Accordingly, the backlight module 200 can have a thin configuration while still providing good, uniform optical performance.

It should be pointed out that, the light reflective plate 22 can be omitted. In an alternative embodiment, a high reflectivity film can be deposited on inner surfaces of the base 211 and the sidewalls 213 of the housing 21. In other alternative embodiment, the housing 21 is made of metal materials, and has high reflectivity inner surfaces.

It is to be understood that, in order to improve brightness of the backlight module 200 within a specific viewing range, the backlight module 200 can further include a prism sheet 24 disposed on the light diffusion plate 23. In addition, in order to improve light energy utilization rate of the backlight module 200, the light reflective plate 22 can further include four reflective sidewalls 223 extending around a periphery thereof and contact with the sidewalls 213 of the housing 21 respectively.

Referring to FIG. 4, an optical plate 30 in accordance with a second preferred embodiment is shown. The optical plate 30 is similar in principle to the optical plate 20 of the first embodiment, however microstructures 305, 306 are different from the microstructures 205, 206 of the optical plate 20. Each microstructure 305, 306 is comprised of two conical frustum protrusions stacked together. The second conical frustum protrusion is disposed on top of the first conical frustum protrusion. In each microstructure 305, 306, a slanted angle S1 of a side surface of the first conical protrusion with respect to its base surface is equal to or less than a slanted angle S2 of a side surface of the second conical protrusion with respect to its base surface. Each of the slanted angles S1, S2 is larger than zero, and equal to or smaller than 60 degrees.

It is noted that the scope of the present optical plate is not limited to the above-described embodiments. In particular, even though specific shape of microstructures 205, 206, 305, 306 have been described and illustrated, the microstructures (conical protrusions) 205, 206, 305, 306 can have various other suitable shapes. For example, the microstructures can be selected from conical frustum protrusions and stacked conical frustum protrusions, such as at least two conical frustum protrusions stacked together. Slanted angles of the conical frustum protrusions of each microstructure increases along a direction away from its base surface.

Referring to FIG. 5, an optical plate 40 in accordance with a third preferred embodiment is shown. The optical plate 40 is similar in principle to the optical plate 20 of the first embodiment, however the lamp-receiving portion 404 of the optical plate 30 is a blind hole. It should be pointed out that, a LED with a reflective member formed on the top of the light-emitting portion can be mounted into the lamp-receiving portion 404 of the optical plate 40 to form a backlight module. Alternatively, a reflective member of the LED can be also positioned on a part of the optical plate 40 above the lamp-receiving portion 404.

Referring to FIG. 6, an optical plate 50 in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment is shown. The optical plate 50 is similar in principle to the optical plate 20, except that microstructures 505, 506 are distributed symmetrically with respect to a lamp-receiving portion 504, a maximum diameter of each of the microstructures 505, 506 increases along a direction away from the lamp-receiving portion 504. A pitch of two adjacent microstructures 505, 506 on a same plane is constant. This configuration of the optical plate 50 may have a relatively good uniformity of light output.

Referring to FIG. 7, an optical plate 60 in accordance with a fifth preferred embodiment is shown. The optical plate 60 includes four transparent plate units 62. Each transparent plate unit 62 is the same as the optical plate 20 of the first embodiment. The four transparent plate units 62 are tightly arranged side by side to form the assembled optical plate 60. It is to be understood that four side-lighting type LEDs and the combined optical plate 60 can be mounted into a housing to form a larger size backlight module.

Referring to FIG. 8, another combined optical plate 70 in accordance with a sixth preferred embodiment is shown. The combined optical plate 70 includes two transparent plate units 72 that can be combined together. Each transparent plate unit 72 is similar in principle to the optical plate 20, however, the transparent plate unit 72 is an elongated rectangular plate, and four lamp-receiving portions 724 are defined apart in each transparent plate unit 72. Microstructures 725 formed on light output surface 722 and/or microstructures (not shown) formed on bottom surface 723 of the transparent plate unit 72 are similar to those of the optical plate 20. In use, a plurality of side-lighting type LEDs and the combined optical plate 70 can be mounted into a housing to form a larger size backlight module.

In a backlight module using the combined optical plates of the fourth and fifth embodiments, a plurality of red, green, and blue colored LEDs can be inserted into the lamp-receiving portions of the combined optical plates, such that a mixed white surface light can be obtained. It is to be understood that other kinds of point light source, such as field emission lamps and so on, can replace the LEDs 25 in above embodiments.

Finally, while various embodiments have been described and illustrated, the invention is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various modifications can be made to the embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

1. An optical plate comprising: at least one transparent plate unit having: a light output surface; a bottom surface opposite to the light output surface; a plurality of microstructures formed at the light output surface and the bottom surface respectively, wherein each microstructure has circular cross-sections taken along a plane parallel to its base surface thereof, a diameter of the circular cross-sections decreasing along a direction away from its base surface thereof; and at least a lamp-receiving portion defined in the bottom surface.
 2. The optical plate according to claim 1, wherein the microstructures are selected from a group consisting of conical frustum protrusions and stacked conical frustum protrusions.
 3. The optical plate according to claim 2, wherein slanted angles defined by side surfaces the conical frustum protrusions with respect to its base surface of each stacked conical frustum protrusion increases along a direction away from its base surface.
 4. The optical plate according to claim 3, wherein a slanted angle defined by side surface of each microstructure with respect to its base surface is larger than zero, and equal to or smaller than 60 degrees.
 5. The optical plate according to claim 1, wherein a maximum diameter of each microstructure is configured to be in a range from about 0.02 millimeters to about 4 millimeters.
 6. The optical plate according to claim 1, wherein a height of each microstructure is configured to be in a range from about 0.01 millimeters to about 3 millimeters.
 7. The optical plate according to claim 1, wherein the microstructures are distributed symmetrically with respect to the lamp-receiving portion, maximum diameters of the microstructures in a same plane increasing along a direction away from the lamp-receiving portion.
 8. The optical plate according to claim 1, wherein the lamp-receiving portion is selected from one of blind hole and through hole communicating with the bottom surface and the light output surface.
 9. The optical plate according to claim 1, wherein the optical plate includes a plurality of the transparent plate units, the transparent plate units being tightly combined with each other.
 10. A backlight module comprising: a housing having a base and a plurality of sidewalls extending from a periphery of the base, the base and the sidewalls cooperatively forming an opening; at least one point light source disposed on the base, each point light source having a light-emitting portion; at least one reflective member is positioned above the top of the light-emitting portion; an optical plate positioned in the housing, the optical plate including at least one transparent plate unit having: a light output surface; a bottom surface opposite to the light output surface; a plurality of microstructures formed at the light output surface and the bottom surface respectively, wherein each microstructure has circular cross-sections taken along a plane parallel to its base surface thereof, a diameter of the circular cross-sections decreasing along a direction away from its base surface thereof, and at least a lamp-receiving portion defined in the bottom surface, wherein the light-emitting portion of the at least one point light source is inserted in the lamp-receiving portion correspondingly; and a light diffusion plate disposed on the housing over the opening.
 11. The backlight module according to claim 10, further comprising a light reflective plate defining a through hole therein, the light reflective plate being disposed underneath the bottom surface of the optical plate, and the point light source passing through the light reflective plate via the through hole.
 12. The backlight module according to claim 10, wherein the light reflective plate further comprises a plurality of reflective sidewalls extending from a periphery thereof and contact with the sidewalls of the housing.
 13. The backlight module according to claim 10, wherein the housing is made of metal materials, and has high reflectivity inner surfaces.
 14. The backlight module according to claim 10, further comprising a high reflectivity film deposited on inner surfaces of the base and the sidewalls of the housing.
 15. The backlight module according to claim 10, further comprising a prism sheet disposed on the light diffusion plate.
 16. The backlight module according to claim 10, wherein the microstructures are selected from a group consisting of conical frustum protrusions and stacked conical frustum protrusions.
 17. The backlight module according to claim 16, wherein slanted angles defined by side surfaces the conical frustum protrusions with respect to its base surface of each stacked conical frustum protrusion increases along a direction away from its base surface.
 18. The backlight module according to claim 10, wherein the lamp-receiving portion is selected from one of blind hole and through hole communicating with the bottom surface and the light output surface.
 19. The backlight module according to claim 10, wherein the microstructures are distributed symmetrically with respect to the lamp-receiving portion, maximum diameters of the microstructures in a same plane increasing along a direction away from the lamp-receiving portion. 